Little Luang Probang

One of the many temples in Luang Probang

When this trip started evolving into a tour of SE Asia, my dear friend Emily from UCLA (who has offered a WEALTH of advice for me on this trip - thanks Em!) mentioned a small town in Laos that she loved called Luang Probang (which translates to Royal Buddha Image). Being the well traveled rock star she is I knew it was worth looking into, so we decided to add it to our itinerary. Luang Probang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was listed in 1995 for unique and "remarkably" well preserved architectural, religious and cultural heritage, including the French colonial influences during the 19th and 20th centuries. There are basically 4 main roads and the city is nestled between the Mekong River and the Nam Khan River, and the area is filled with numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries that add to its character. We weren't really sure what to expect from Laos, it was kind of a wild card of the trip. I will admit it took us the first couple days to succumb to its charm, but overall I did enjoy this quaint little town with a French influence.

Monks walking the streets is a common site in the area

The town reminds me more of France/Europe then Asia

Taking in the mighty Mekong

Sunset over the Mekong

The fact that the temperature was over 100* from the moment we arrived did not help gain points, while it had been hot in Thailand this was a heat that was unbearable. It certainly made exploring the area during the middle of the day near impossible, so we had to focus our energy on morning excursions and evening outings. We were also surprised at the prices there, for some reason I had assumed Laos would be super cheap but it turns out this town has a cosmopolitan vibe to it and ended up being pricier then many of the places we had previously been. For example, we had been paying an average of $4-6 per day for motor bike rentals in Indonesia and Thailand and in Luang Probang it cost us $12 per day. We also felt overall the local people here were not quite as friendly or helpful as some of the other places we had been, and often I had the feeling of being taken advantage of which is never fun. Unfortunately the people working at our hotel were not super friendly as well, and that definitely left a bit of a bad taste in our mouths. Once we accepted this was more of a city atmosphere with higher prices it was easier to enjoy our time there.

Tuk-tuks here were quite festive

The morning market was filled with herbs and vegetables that would be served at the evening meal

Most of the area is flat so bicycles are a very common mode of transportation and once we obtained bikes it changed the game for us. We were able to get around easier, and at least as we were peddling we were rewarded with a bit of a breeze. The architecture is a blend of beautiful temples, developing country segments and quaint French style buildings that make it a hard place to describe as far as the feel of it. We loved the abundance of cute cafes and restaurants and enjoyed some great meals here, Jess said the Laotian food was some of her favorite of the trip. One cafe had hammocks to relax in all day, another had a book exchange program and one had a gallery upstairs. There were a lot of French speaking expats running businesses here so that was a bit of a surprise and made it different from all the other countries we had been in Asia so far. The food focuses on a lot of herbs and fresh vegetables, mixed with French dishes ever present on all the menus.

We loved this cafe, called Bouang, where the menu was on a big tin plate

Inside Bouang

The Silk Road Cafe was adorable and we enjoyed hanging in the hammocks one lazy afternoon

Our main highlights in Laos include: Motorbiking out to Kuang Si Falls and the Bear Sanctuary, climbing to the viewpoint Mount Phou Si (490 feet up above the city) to watch the sunset and release a pair of birds to freedom, watching the morning monk alms procession and strolling through the evening market (and doing some shopping, of course). The falls really stick out as the main highlight, the area was absolutely stunning and we spent the day swimming and hiking around the area enjoying the crystal blue waters created by calcium carbonate from the rocks of the area. We were able to hike up to the top of the falls and even found a swing up in the jungley area where the source of the falls is located. Seeing the bears in the sanctuary was a fun addition to the outing, apparently they get trapped and their bile gets poached for Asian medicine so the sanctuary is a way of protecting them. The bird release was really cool too, basically they have these little caged birds you can make an offering for and then release them for good luck. Sad they have to be caged in the first place, but at least we can free them. The alms procession happens every morning at sunrise and the community gathers along the sidewalks and makes offerings of food to the monks of the city, observing that was quite special as it is something rare you really would not get to witness many other places. The night market was the best we had been to and the layout made it welcoming and laid back, it is clear the people of Laos have some serious artistic talents and they have beautiful hand crafted items to sell for incredibly cheap compared to home.

One of the adorable rescue bears at the sanctuary - they were quite playful

The falls were gorgeous and the water was the most stunning blue color

Taking it in...

Coldest water we encountered on our trip but perfect for the 100* heat!

Stairs to the top of the falls

The top of the falls

Looking down from the source

Perhaps one of the funnier moments of the trip when this old dude decided I needed a push - Jess and I could barely contain ourselves

Steps to the Mount Phou Si

Contemplating our happy intentions to send with our bird release

Happy to let these birds fly free

Two less caged birds in the world

Sunset from Mount Phou Si

Monk Alms procession

Night market by the temple

By the time we left Luang Probang I think Jessie and I both appreciated it for all it had to offer, but still felt we had a hard time grasping the full depth of the area. It was quaint and had a lot of character, but also felt a bit less welcoming to us overall. I would be curious to spend some more time here to see if I felt a better integration into the area and its people as I felt five days was not really long enough to form a solid opinion of this place. It was certainly different in many ways from most the places we have been on this trip which makes it a bit more mysterious. Also, I truly believe the people in an area shape the feel of it, and depending on your interactions your experience may be completely different from another persons. Despite encountering some less then friendly locals here (compared to the other places we had been) we still enjoyed our time in this strange and unique place. I am glad I was able to go as it definitely felt like a road less travelled among tourists.

Tuk-tuk to the airport

Laos airlines even gives monks first priority for boarding :)

Off to Vietnam we go!